Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-06-04
z in the military
A.. t;,,,nn III IL

h. HES, if we must fight we goo
~ SEvesSSsSssN YVES
i Gasd to- sh and in the military con con
should do it wsSi6le In W 49,,
There issopn 30 and so years of age were
science OF Il the army. and then levy was
aieh oetA' special service. There were oniy
'ino ~ etor four classes exempt; those VINO nad
nag It a house and mad not occupied 1t; those
nEEho had planted u garden and had not reapca
the fruit of it: those who were engaged TO De
married and yet had not led tho bride 10 the
nltar: those who were Yet III the filst year VI
welded life; those who were SO nervous th'',
tl.y could not look upon an enemy but
they red, and could not look upon blood Du'
they tainted.
Tho army was in three divisionS-thc center
md right and left wings. The weapons OF
defense were helmet, Shield brcaStplate,
lucklcr. The weapons of oiScnso were sword,
s,ear. iavelir arrow, catapult-whlch was
merely O. bow swurg by machinery, shooting
arrows at vast distances, great arrows, one
arrow us large Us several men could lit, a!id
bollista. which was sling swung by machil-
cry. hurting great rocks and large pieces OF
lead 20 vast distances. Tho shields were
made of woven willow work with three thick
nesses of hide and loop inside through which
the arm Of the warrior might. he thrust; anu
when these soldiers were marching to ATTACK
mn enemy on the level, all these shields
touched each other, making wall moving
but iupenetrablc; and then when they at
tackled a fortress md tried to capture DAT.
tlen,ent this shield was lifted over the head
so as 70 resist the falling missiles. The breast
plate was made of two pieces OF leather,
brass covered, ono piece falllng over the
breast, the other falling over tue back. AT
rho side of the warrior the two pieces faSt-
ened with buttons or clasps.
TIN, bows were so stout aud stiff and strong
that warriors often challenged EACH other 20
bend one Tho strings OF the bow were maze
from the sinewS OF oxen. "a case ike AL III
yerted pyramid was fastened to the back,
that c;lsa containing the arrows, SO THAT
WHEN the warrior wanted to use an arrow he
would put Ills arm over his shoulder and pull
forth the arrow for the fight Tho ankle OF
th. fuot had an iron boot. When wall was
80 Iva ,ssorlted u gathering ram was brought
~, 4 Watering ram was great oeafn
s,y,,r,, On clni,,s in equilibrium Tie oaItef-
inc 70, J, would DO brought close up 10 'ne
vail and then great number OF men woVio
take i1ola Of this beam, push it back as iar Us
...=55sruIf or dcstruc
ton.
TNsenty or forty men would stand i'll
Dlovplble tower the lnce-f.s $40 rsinn' Tliei
the 6Ied toward the enemy, and what with tht
he.aavy feet and tie swinging proboScis and thu
hpoisoued arrows shot from the movable
tower, the destruction was appalling. Wa
choriots were i'll vogue, and they were on two
wheels, so they could easily turn. a swort
was fastened to the pole between tue horses
so when they went ahead tho sword thrust
and when they turned around it would NOV
down. Tho armies carried flags beautifully
embroidered. Tribe Of Judah carried IL flag
embroidered with lion; tribe OF Reuben
embroidered with man; tribe OF Dan, cm
bro;dcred with chcrubim. The noise OF the
hosts as they moved on was overwhelming
What with the clatter of shields and the
runlbiug OF wheels and the shouts OF the
CAPTAINS and the vociferation of the entire
host, tho prophet says it was like the roaring
of the sea. Because tho arts Of war have
been advancing all these years you are not to
conclude that these armies OF olden times
were an uncomfortable mob 1could quote
YOU four OF five passages Of Scripture show
lug YOU that they were thoroughly drilled;
they marched step to step, shoulder TO Shout
der, or, us my texts express it, they were
eFifly thousand which could keep rank" and
@Eycry one could sling stones ut hair
breadth and not miss.
Nothing could he more important than
this great National encampmcnt. Undrilled
troops can never stand before those which
arc drilled at time when other pation$
arc giving such care to military tactics, ii
bohooves this nation to lack nothing in skill
We shall never have another war between
north and SOUTH Tho old dccaycd bone Of
contention, African slavery, has been cast
out, although here and there u depraved poll
tician takes it up to see if he can gnaw some
thing of of X Wo are floating of further
and further from the possibility of sectional
strife, but about foreign invasion am not SC
sure There is absolutely no room on this
continent tol. any othor nation. / have been
across the country again and again, and
know that we have not a half inch OF ground
for the equity foot OF foreign despotism tc
stand on do not know but that hai
dozen nutioas, envious of our prosperity,
may want to give us O wrestle. During
our civil war there were twD OF
three nations that could hardly keep their
hands OFF of us. 1t is very easy to pick ma
tional quarlels, and If our nation escapes it
much longer it will be the exception. IT 4
foreign foe should come we want mon like
those of 1912, and like those who fought on
both sides in 1862. We want them all up and
down the coast, Pulaski and Fort Sumter in
the same chorus of thunder as Fort Lafayette
and Fort Hamilton, men who will not only
know how to fight, but how to die. When
such q time comes, il it ever docs como, the
generations OH tho stage of action will say:
"Aly country will care for my family, as they
did in the soldiers asylums for tho orphans
in tho civil war, and my country Will honor
my dust as it honors those who preceded mo
in patriotic sacrifice, and once year at any
rate, on Decoration Day, I shall be re-
directed into tho remembrance OF those
for whom l died Here I go for God
and my country" If foreign foe should ever
come all sectional animcsities would be OBJ
liberated Here 60 our regiments into the
battle, side by silc, Fifteenth New York
volunteers, Tenth Alabama cavalry, Four
teenth Pennsylvania riflemen, Tenth Massa'
chusetts artillery. Seventh South Carolina
sharpshooters. have no faith in the cry;
"No north, no south, no east, no west" Lei
all four sections keep their peculiarities and
their preferences, each doing its own work
and not interfering with each other, each OIL
the four carrying its part in the great liar-
mony-the bass, the alto, the tenor, the
soprano i'll the grand march of the Union.
congratulate you, the officers and sol.
diers of this National encampment, that if q
foreign attack should at any time be made
you would be ready, and there would be mil
lions of the drilled men of north and south,
like the men of my first text, which could
keep rank, and like the men of my second
text that would not miss hail, breadth. =
At this. National drill, when thirtyon
states of the Union arc REPRESENTED. aud ha